Abolfazl Salabi was active as a national and international basketball player during the 1940s and 1950s. In the former decade, he represented Iran at the 1948 London Olympics, where the nation placed 14th overall. Nonetheless, the players received a modest reward from the government for their sole victory – over the Irish team – at the Games. The highlight of his career, however, was the 1951 Asian Games, where Iran took home bronze from the tournament. After the conclusion of his competitive career, he took up coaching and continued to be active in the sport into an advanced age.